Patagonian Fjords of Chile

If time allows, explore Ushuaia, a cosmopolitan, colourful city notable for its clapboard houses and steep wooden staircases.

In the afternoon, board the 5-star Ocean Victory - your luxurious home for the next 14 days!

Set sail through the Beagle Channel, passing famous glaciers such as Holanda, Italia and Alemania. The channel is rich with wildlife including colonies of cormorant, gentoo and magellanic penguins, as well as sea lions which can be seen on virtually every rocky outcrop. If you want to learn more about the region and its human history, take the time to read Darwin’s journals for fascinating accounts of the Yaghan tribe, which once flourished in this harsh region.

If the weather is accommodating, you will go ashore on zodiacs to Hornos Island (the smallest of the Hermite Islands), whose only inhabitants are the lighthouse keeper and his family. While here, you may visit a memorial, built in the shape of an albatross, to commemorate the lives of the sailors who lose their lives while ‘rounding the Horn’.

Here are found soaring glaciers as well as diverse plant life and sea life, including the iconic elephant seal. It is not unusual to see a pod of killer whales in these waters, attracted by the plentiful seafood.

Fort Bulnes was built in 1843 on the rocky shores of Punta Santa Ana under the command of President Bulnes Prieto, who wished to maintain control of the Magellan Strait and the ships that sailed through it. Destroyed by military forces in 1848, but restored to its original form in the 1940s, the fort and the area around it are now part of the Strait of Magellan Park.

The climate here is sub-Antarctic, yet these coasts were in the past home to a highly developed and populous Native American culture consisting of maritime nomadic hunter-gatherers and other tribes who thrived on fishing these waters. Until the early 1800s, these tribes enjoyed isolated lives, but that changed when the governments of Chile and Argentina instigated radical eradication programmes. Exposure to western diseases also contributed to their demise. Today, our knowledge of these many different peoples is extremely sparse.

Disembark in Puerto Natales for the one-hour journey by bus into Torres Del Paine National Park, considered one of the most beautiful national parks in the world. The park’s landscape is dominated by three massive, almost vertical, granite towers, the highest of which climbs to approx. 2,800 metres above sea level. Elsewhere, the park’s defining features are its glacial lakes, rivers, and open grasslands. Wildlife includes Andean deer, guanaco, puma, skunks and hares, as well as a wealth of birds, such as Andean condors, Chilean flamingo, black-faced ibis, black-necked swans, and kelp geese. Rhea birds are also occasionally seen. In short, Torres del Paine is a paradise for photographers and wildlife enthusiasts!

Wherever you look during this leg of the voyage, you will be surrounded by beautiful scenery of mountain peaks and glaciers. Life above and below the water is interesting and plentiful. Small fishing villages abound and zodiac landings will be planned to visit the most accessible of them.

Cruising at a safe distance from the glacier front, you continue north through the Messier to arrive at the remote fishing village of Puerto Eden, located in Bernardo O’Higgins National Park, on the southern Patagonian Ice Fields. The village is accessible only by boat and has less than 200 inhabitants. Houses and roads are built on wooden promenades and boardwalks. There will be time to explore the village and its spectacular surroundings before setting sail again late this afternoon.

Caleta Tortel enjoys a picturesque location at the base of a mountain, surrounded by forest on the banks of Chile’s longest river, the Baker. Originally established as a timber community, most of the houses and roads in Caleta Tortel are built from the local cypress wood. A raised boardwalk surrounds the village and stretches for miles past small bays and inlets. The village was designed with great care so that each house has a view of the water. Many have been built into the forested slopes and are connected by wooden staircases, woven between the houses. Communal areas such as playgrounds and the town square have also been built on the boardwalks. It’s a fascinating and lovely place to explore.

There will be time to enjoy the excellent onboard facilities and activities, whether that’s taking a dip in one of the hot tubs or enjoying a relaxing massage. Alternatively, sit and chat to other guests or find a quiet corner in which to read.

Founded in 1567, Castro is one of Chile’s oldest cities. It’s a lovely place to stroll around and explore leisurely. Perhaps the city’s defining feature are its colourful wooden houses, or ‘palafitos’, traditional fishermen homes that are built on stilts over the water. There are also several UNESCO heritage sites to discover on the island, including the lovely Church of San Francisco, situated in the plaza at the centre of Castro. Beyond its historical sites, Castro is also just a pleasure to explore. The craft market, located close to the Church of San Francisco, is a great place to pick up woven baskets, which make for lovely souvenirs. There are lots of restaurants in which to stop for lunch and enjoy some delicious seafood, with oysters being a particular speciality.

Birding is wonderful on Mocha Island, with species such as the endangered Fardela castellana, the chucao de la mocham, the pink-footed shearwater, and the bandurrias all present within this region. The island is also home to the pudu, the world’s smallest deer.

Originally, Isla Mocha was inhabited by the Lafkenche, or the “people of the sea” – part of the wider Mapuche tribe. The Lafkenche are reputed to have seen off Sir Francis Drake when he tried to land his ship on the island. In 2007, skulls from the original Mapuche people were compared to skulls from inhabitants of Easter Island, and were found to have astonishing similarities, supporting theories that propose a distant connection between South America and the remote islands of the Pacific Ocean.

Nowadays, Isla Mocha is home to around 700 residents, most of whom live off the land and sea. Tourism plays a small part in the island’s economy. Most transport is by horse and cart, as there are very few cars on the island.

Valparaiso is a beautiful city most famous for its incredible maze of hills, vintage funiculars, fabulous cliff-top houses accessed by steep staircases, and panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean. The atmosphere here is distinctly bohemian, emphasised by the colourful mansions and narrow streets full of interesting shops, cafes and small boutique hotels.

Your itinerary ends in Valparaiso. We can help with accommodation in Valparaiso or in nearby Santiago if required, or with your transfer to the airport if flying out this evening. Please note that transfer and hotel arrangements on day 14 are at additional cost and will vary according to your requirements.